Nights of Terror
by DarkenedStar
Summary: Kaoru and her brother, Sanosuke have been creating haunted houses every Halloween for the past several years, and they take their duties of scaring the pants off of everyone who enters VERY seriously. Amidst a haze of smoke and fog, patrons find themselves weaving through a dozen terrifying scenes, nearly begging for escape. Halloween-inspired KK one-shot!


**I know, I know. I'm not supposed to be writing random one-shots amidst all of my other works! I should be all gung-ho about Eternity, but any motivation I might have had that fic was drained and put into my Halloween Inspiration account. Yes- I suck.**

**This was really fun to write, especially since half of this is actually based on real, personal experiences. I've been building and scaring in haunted houses since I was 15. Kaoru's scene, for example was something I developed and built two years ago. And it was FANTASTIC. I can still perfectly remember the faces of people I scared in there! I've actually been acting in a haunted house this year, as well, and this one has already gotten coverage from a local news station and a wide-spread newspaper! I only say this to give a bit of a back story for my inspiration. Now, if only a certain red-head would wander inside, my adventures would be complete! :)**

**Warnings: 1: There are about a dozen expletives, but nothing too serious or vulgar. 2: This is based on a haunted house, so there will be some bits of blood, but nothing too gruesome. 3: Two costumes are referred to as 'demons', but this in no way, shape, or form relates to satanic demons. These are _frightening _demons, not _evil _ones. There is a very solid difference. In no way is this overbearing on the plot, but if you feel like you may get offended, just click the back button.**

**Aaaannndd I'd like to thank my absolutely _lovely_ new beta, aclockworKat, who has given me wonderful feedback and advice on refining this. THANK YOU!**

**Happy reading and have a safe and happy Halloween!**

* * *

**Nights of Terror**

"NOTHING IS MORE FUN THAN HALLOWEEN!" she shouted into the air, mirth flooding her senses and leaving her with a bubbly grin. Her statement was received by two dozen people and acknowledged with several thrilled cheers from the far ends of the building.

The pervasive odors of spray paint, glue, sawdust, jog juice, burnt plastic, and singed cloth melded together to form a pungent concoction that wafted through the stagnant air. Darkness was held back only by a few dozen spotlights that cast small circles of illumination upon a collection of horrors. Out of the shadows emerged grotesquely bloody limbs, dolls with severed heads and a jack-in-the-box, the size of a grown man. Dead leaves were strewn across the ground, emitting crisp cracks as they were treaded upon. A rotating emergency light hung upside-down from the ceiling, spinning madly, flashing an angry amber warning to all who would lay eyes on it.

Many people did, in fact, look up to bear witness to the spinning light, but rather than turn and bolt in fear, the corners of their lips turned upward in cheek-consuming grins as they went about their way. Those inside the dank warehouse bustled about, balancing several goals and destinations, yet overwhelming excitement coated the atmosphere. They carried in their painted, clawed hands boxes of supplies, power tools, rolls of tarp, staple guns, and hammers. Putting on the finishing touches was stressful, but they were far too thrilled that this night had finally arrived and _nothing _would dampen their spirits.

The Crossing Nightmares haunted house had been a month-long annual production for the past six years and with every passing year it only earned more acclaim and awed respect around the community. Each year the pathways wound farther, the scenes growing darker and more horrific, and the actors were far more vividly terrifying than the last. It had long since been a neighborhood marvel and hundreds of people flocked to it each October, eagerly standing in line to face the bone-melting horrors within.

This year was by far the best, Kaoru asserted confidently, and she saw to it that all the finishing touches were perfectly executed. The better part of the past two months had been devoted to converting a derelict warehouse into a haunted scare zone, and she'd be damned if the last bits of hanging fabric weren't glued down and all the holes between the posts weren't sealed properly. They were scheduled to open in less than an hour and she still needed to walk through for the sixty-third time to ensure everyone knew their assigned positions, all power cords were secured, lighting created the perfect mood for each area, and the flawlessly hidden speakers created a surround sound that would convince even the most skeptic. And she _still _had to touch up her face paint.

Finally satisfied with her half of the warehouse, she hurried through her brother's half to ensure the same level of quality. Of course, she had walked through countless times over the past couple of moons, but one could never be too thorough- especially when her counterpart was such a poor planner.

Nodding at the scraps of tarp that were _finally _pinned back, Kaoru caught sight of her brother. "Sanooo!" she squealed, unable to contain her excitement. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, jumping in place. "Everything looks AMAZING! I can't wait!"

The lanky, spiky-haired zombie laughed. "I know. You've only been sayin' it since last Halloween-_ cut it out!_" he attempted to shuffle away as she licked her finger and tried to adjust a smudge in the paint on his face. "_Stop!_" he cried. "By nature, zombies aren't supposed to look perfect, damn it!"

"I know!" she growled, trying to follow his movements. "Just let me... get it... THERE!"

"OWW! Damn it, Kaoru, you almost stabbed my eye!"

"Oh, calm down," she grinned. "How much time do we have left?"

"We open in…" he paused to roll up a ragged sleeve and waved his wrist in the air until he caught a sufficient glint of light to see his watch. "…seventeen minutes. Go do whatever it is ya gotta do with that getup. The house is good. People are good. Everyone's ready ta rock'n'roll, so don't worry about us. I got this."

"Alright, alright. Have you seen Misao?"

"Ya mean Mistress of Human Sacrifices? Yeah," he turned to point toward the dressing rooms. "She's up in the loft helpin' the last of the scarers get suited up."

"Perfect! Thanks, Sano!" Kaoru squeaked as she hurried as quickly as she dared to scamper in heels.

"Just have fun tonight!" he called after her retreating form. "Don' worry 'bout the house!"

Kaoru weaved around the narrowly crafted hallways, ducked underneath low-hanging fringes of bloodied clothing, and when a five-horned demon popped out at her from behind a wooden crate, a startled shriek escaped her.

Kaoru nearly fell back into a wall of pallets in her reactionary attempt to put distance between herself and the gray-skinned creature.

Horns tumbled out from underneath a mane of dark hair, and matching dark eyes peered out threateningly from the center of large ebony circles that were smeared around his eyebrows and cheeks. Tattered clothing hung from his form, revealing scaly patches of skin and bloodied scabs. Long claws poked out from beneath his sleeves, and they were raised menacingly, as if he were barely restraining himself from striking her.

She swore every single person in the building began laughing in unison and several cheers whistled through the warehouse. "Not _me, _Yahiko!" Kaoru breathed, thoroughly embarrassed and clutching her chest in a feeble attempt to assuage her racing heart. Of all people to have screamed first on opening night, of course _she_ had to be the one. "Augh!" she ground out, upset to have uttered the inaugural screech of terror. "Good job," she admitted a bit tersely, though it was clear that her frustration was directed at herself. "That was perfect. I want everyone to scream that loudly tonight, got it?"

A toothy grin accompanied by a ferocious growl was her only reply. The ghostly woman rolled her eyes and hurried along to the stairs that led to her best friend. Pushing through several more obstacles, Kaoru shoved open the loft door and was forced to immediately stifle a laugh.

Before her was the self-proclaimed Mistress of Human Sacrifices, adorned in a form-fitting black dress that reached her knees before tapering off into a ragged, blood-seeped hem. The low-swooping neckline and sleeveless straps showcased creamy, smooth skin, painted an ashen color to liken death. From Misao's neck dangled a chain featuring an assortment of fake fingers, teeth, ears, toes, and even a nose. Atop a flawless bun sat a crown crafted of the more delicate bones of a human body and a perfectly spherical eyeball as the jewel centerpiece.

Between her black talons and powdered skin was a palate showcasing an assortment of paint and a long, bristly brush. "So help me, Shinomori Aoshi, I will not let you leave here until all of that is covered up, do you hear me?"

"Perfect," he deadpanned. "I will remain here until this whole ordeal is over."

"That is NOT an option!" she proclaimed loudly. Then, as if suddenly shifting gears that had long since been protesting, a devilish grin consumed her face and she leaned down to whisper something in his ear.

When she pulled back, her boyfriend of two years looked skyward and let out a hiss of agreement. "Fine. But I get to choose the location this time…"

"WOAH!" Kaoru bellowed, stepping closer to the center of the room awkwardly. "I thought you guys heard the door open! Keep that kinda talk between yourselves!" she pulled a half-playful, half-disgusted face and walked around so she could see Aoshi from the front. Unable to restrain a snort of laughter, she covered her mouth and quickly explained when his frown deepened. "No, seriously- you look perfect! Misao, you're a master at this stuff!"

A chocolate-faced Aoshi glared at Kaoru, though he looked marginally less upset than a moment before. All visible skin that was poking out from a dark green suit was painted brown. The leotard (which was _**never **_to be called that around him) was cluttered with nearly a hundred leaves that circled his torso and arms. He wore hazelnut-colored pants, upon which were glued precisely-located bits of bark. He looked miserably awkward but when he would walk over to the Forsaken Forest, he would blend in flawlessly with the plaster trees. Aoshi had the perfect camouflage that none of the patrons would notice until he was already running at them.

"You make one wicked tree demon!"

He said nothing in return, but the way he then looked at Misao made her grin. Kaoru would never have the patience to read such an enigmatic man, yet for some unfathomable reason, Misao, the more hyper of the two, had made it her sole mission to decipher that same man and furtively weave her way past his defenses. It had worked, apparently, and now she read his expressions like headlines of a newspaper.

"Ok, now hold still," Misao ordered, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. A couple of minutes passed before she finally stepped back and admired her paint job. "Perfect! Now go! You only have about ten minutes to get in place and get in character."

"I don't think there is much to assuming the personality of a tree."

"Apparently, you've never heard of Treebeard," Kaoru muttered to herself, and when her friends' attention zoned in on her, she was left with the sinking feeling that she was not helping the situation. "Sorry…"

"There're tons of things you have to think of! You have to figure out how you're going to stand and how close you're going to let people get before you jump at them and how far you're going to chase them!"

"All normal characteristics of trees, apparently." He earned himself a menacing glare as he got up and walked out of the room.

"You look _fantastic!"_ Misao squealed once the door was shut and she fully took in Kaoru's dress. "I love it!"

The sapphire-eyed girl grinned as she twirled before the floor-length mirror. The white dress she wore was crafted to look like it was stolen straight from the Victorian era. Off-shoulder straps hung loosely around her biceps, exposing pale, ashen skin. A tight-fitting corset was adorned with frilly lace, sashes, and fabric flowers, trailing down to the many skirts cloaking her legs from sight. The skirts were comprised of so many bunches of silk, that every movement created a soft _swish_ing sound. Fortunately, the soundtrack in her zone would cover that up.

"Alright, what do you need, my dear?" Misao cooed as she searched for any skin that may not have been properly covered. Finding only a spot here and there, she resigned herself to taking a large powder puff and swinging it toward her best friend's face.

"No! Jeez, Misao, my lungs will do just fine without that stuff. I just wanted to come in here and see if any of the makeup had worn off in my last minute adjustments."

"You look amazing." Misao assured. "All you need now is that necklace…" she reached to the counter behind her and pulled a silver choker from the drawer, and clasped it around her friend's neck. "…and the contacts. Where did I put those?" she began muttering to herself. "Oh! There!" The Mistress of Human Sacrifices glided across the room to rummage through another drawer before pulling out a small box. "Here," she tossed the box across the few feet that stood between them. "Put 'em in and you're all set."

Grinning, Kaoru turned to face the mirror and carefully put each contact in. "What about you? Do you need help with anything?"

"Nah. I've been working on my own stuff since, like_, _four. I've been doing touch-ups for the past hour between people. Pretty much everyone came in here and I was backed up for a whil- WOAH, THAT LOOKS AWESOME!" she screeched when Kaoru turned to face her. Amidst her already pallid complexion was a pair of solid white contacts. It looked like her pupils had disappeared entirely, leaving nothing but a ghostly, glowing irises to peer out from beneath black bangs. "_Damn, Kaoru! _You're going to give people nightmares for the next week!"

The older woman laughed eagerly. "Damn right, I will! Let's do this!"

"SIX MINUTES!" Sanosuke's voice bellowed through the warehouse.

The two women threw their arms around each other, squealed in uncontainable delight, and hurried back downstairs. Misao broke off to the left to find her way to the volcano room, while Kaoru turned right to weave to the very back of the warehouse.

When they were planning the layout, Kaoru had immediately declared that her spot was going to be at the very end. With that prime location came the responsibility of creating the ultimate finale of horrors, something far more devious than anything else the poor patrons would encounter. It would have to leave them near tears and shaking in consuming fear.

As Kaoru walked past the mineshaft and the zombie area, she beheld the most thrilling sight of all. It was laid out to be like a cemetery, complete with tombstones, packed dirt, upturned and unhinged coffins, and a woman who was going to be playing the part of grieving widow.

"Have fun tonight, Aya!"

"Oh, don't you worry about that," she grinned.

Kaoru beamed in return and continued through the crypt's entrance. From the ceiling glowed a meager light that cast sinister aura upon the weaving six-and-a-half foot tall rows of tarp. It was enough to navigate by, just barely, and to see the pots of wilted flowers and guardian statues that lurked around the corners. A smoke machine was hidden at the back, and was set to go off at generous intervals, ensuring that the confines of the passages were always filled with thick, knee-height walkways of fog. With careful placement of speakers, the delicate sounds of whispers, low growls, and periodical shrieks made its way through the contraption, officially leaving nothing left to be desired, except a mercy exit, maybe.

When Kaoru promised a wicked haunted house finale, she made sure to deliver. Not only had she styled a network of hallways which mimicked a Victorian garden maze, which would undoubtedly add to the claustrophobic feeling, but she had also set the scene with all the appropriate props, ensuring to stir all of the human senses, completely submerging those who entered in the settings they had created, and even if they still thought of the outside world, they'd be too consumed with the one she had created to even think they could escape. They would smell the musky scent of fog; their sight limited to a sinister chiaroscuro, contrasting harsh lights with endless shadows; they would hear threatening sounds from the speakers above; feel chills run down their spines, and by the time they scrambled out of the end of the maze, they would know the taste of terror.

"IT'S TIME, EVERYONE! PLACES! I'M OPENIN' THE DOORS!" Gloria called from the front of the warehouse. She was tasked with collecting the $10 entrance fee and ensuring that people were only allowed forward in groups of four or less. As each group waited for their turn, she explained the rules of the house to them, such as not to use any lights or cell phones, and no matter what, not to act aggressively or in any offensive manner so as to protect the actors.

Other, more advertised haunted attractions herded continuous lines of people through like cattle. Crossing Nightmares, on the other hand, opted to contend with longer queue times in favor of requiring small groups to go at a time and allowing at least three minutes between factions. People felt empowered when in larger numbers, and by cutting out that gift, danger felt much closer at hand.

Kaoru would have exactly nine minutes before the first group would shuffle through the crypt opening (seven if they were running, which _had _happened in the past). A maze had not yet been attempted, so all the people lined up outside had absolutely no idea what they were in for. Grinning, she took one of many hiding places amongst the weaving turns of her maze and waited like a viper ready to strike out poisonous fear.

She lost count after the twentieth person to shriek in horror. The maze was far more perfect than she could have imagined, and she cackled evilly to herself as they took wrong turns that led right to her. They screeched, they jumped violently, their expressions contorted in so many hilarious ways that Kaoru's cheeks physically ached from grinning and laughing after they ran away. Fortunately, she was able to compose herself between groups, but as soon as they saw her and booked it in the opposite direction, she snorted in delight until the next people entered the maze.

It was about halfway through the night when they received a ten minute break. Most people scampered to the restroom to do their business but Kaoru used her time more wisely. Now that she had a solid feel for what routes people tended to take and how they reacted at the sight of her, she felt ready for Phase Two.

Phase Two was nothing more than a pair of two-foot tall stilts, but the confidence to put them on only came after she had fully familiarized herself with people's general reactions. The break gave her just enough time to secure them firmly and walk around a bit for familiarity.

This was going to be _perfect._

"OPENING!" Gloria called, and within moments, the sounds of petrified screams broke the quiet night. The sounds of actors and actresses shouting after the patrons cascaded into Kaoru's ears and she easily picked up on where the groups were in relation to her crypt maze.

By the time the third group came around, Kaoru had found her favorite position. She crouched down and covered a laugh as she heard dreadfully hesitant voices approach.

"What is _that?_ There is no way in hell I'm going in there!"

"Cut it out, Tae!" a masculine voice hissed.

Kaoru grinned. She knew a mask of confidence when she heard one. The two women who were muttering darkly to themselves were already obviously scared, but their friend refused to let on just how afraid he was. Kaoru decided then that her goal was to reveal the man for the coward that he was. And even if he truly was brave by nature, she would startle him so thoroughly that his knees would shake whenever he heard the name Crossing Nightmares.

They entered.

Kaoru waited.

She saw their shadows from underneath the small margin of tarp left above the cement floor. They had just passed her.

Pinching herself to reinforce a straight face, Kaoru rose just in time to witness from over the hall of plastic sheeting a scarlet-haired man leading the way for two terrified women. He tread very slowly through the fog and as if by sheer luck, the soundtrack that was playing reached an unexpected shriek of terror.

Instantly, the two women darted down the left hallway, leaving the man alone. "See if I'll help you now…" he murmured, unaware that there was a figure looming directly above his head and that it could head him perfectly.

So he was a tough guy, too? Perfect.

He deliberately veered down a different passage and turned a few corners before arriving at a dead-end. The man seemed to accept his fate and was about to turn around calmly, when he happened to notice a strange shadow that certainly should not have been hovering over him.

Slowly, his eyes turned upward, only to see a pale, eyeless woman looming over a wall that was already a foot taller than himself.

He was _very _attractive, Kaoru had to admit, but the way his eyes widened in alarm and the way he sucked in a panicked breath made laughter bubble against Kaoru's lips. Attractive, yes, but his comical worth thoroughly distracted her from his enviable features.

"ORO!" he shouted and ran back the way he had come from. Despite initially tip-toeing through, he threw all hesitation out the door and bolted around corners, sneakers screeching in protest against the cement floor.

The two women who he abandoned were already close to the exit, and thanks to Kaoru's thorough planning, she wove through a few passages and dove out in front of them. Shrieks pierced the air and their eyes lit up in horror as they darted past her to the maze's exit. They only had a couple more obstacles to overcome before they would leave the haunted house entirely, and Kaoru was perfectly content with how deeply she had scared them.

Back to Mr. Confidence she went.

Normally, it was easy to keep track of people's positions within the maze through their footfalls, but this man was silent aside from the occasional shoe-scuffing as he turned another corner. It was just enough to pinpoint where he was, and she knew that he was headed in her direction. She took her place and coiled like a serpent waiting for an unknowing mouse.

A pool of fog gathered directly in front of him, leaving him with the deceivingly inviting hallway of light to the left or to continue going straight into the cloud.

Seeing too many horror flicks and knowing that following a light tunnel was not always a wise option, he carefully trod forward, a look of terrible uncertainty gracing his soft features.

Kaoru's breath sped up. She could see him more clearly now as he stepped beneath the meager beams of light, and she had more than a brief second to witness his countenance. How he had the patience to tend with such a full mane of hair was beyond her, but the long, fiery waves gave him an air of danger that was only slightly offset by his small frame. And his eyes… his amethyst eyes were simply beautiful. Kaoru could think of no other word to describe them. Beautiful.

And hilariously widened in fear.

The only thing that would make him appear more perfect would be an expression of panic to replace his hesitance. Then her mission would be complete until the following evening. Her personal objectives were to scare at least three quarters of the people that walked through, make at least six people screech in terror, and make at least one badass accept that there were bigger, scarier things in the world aside from himself.

All of them were long since accounted for except the last, and this man was going to help her accomplish her goal.

Ragged intakes of breath could be heard as he stepped close and closer to the wall. The soundtrack playing through the speakers was so close to being perfect. Just a few more seconds and…

The man crept through the first frays of thicker fog, instinctively raising his arms to combat the thick vapors, and when he found himself mere inches before the crouched-down eyeless woman, Kaoru could almost _feel_ his heart stop.

"ORRROOOOO!" he bellowed as he spun on his heel and headed down the illuminated hallway. He _knew _he should have taken that route to begin with! Upon hearing a heart-ceasing clatter of pursuing footfalls, he turned his head just enough to glimpse the seven-and-a-half foot tall cemetery demon bounding after him.

Kaoru knew at that moment that this man was going to be one of her highlight scares of all seven nights of being open.

Her skirts fluttered gracefully after her as she loped behind the scarlet-haired man, easily keeping speed with a long, powerful gait.

"**OROO!**" he shouted when he looked back in front of him. A wall had appeared in the time he had been looking behind, but he fortunately made the correct last-second decision and veered to the left.

Kaoru nearly laughed at the expression that was sure to be on his face. He was facing a completely pitch-black room that was covered in tarp on all sides, including the ceilings. No light could be seen from within, which meant that _anything _could be hiding inside.

The brief moment of hesitation was all Kaoru needed to catch up with Mr. Confidence and she jumped, landing directly beside him before he knew what was happening. That last surge of alarm was all he needed before he bolted into the darkness. The subsequent shriek was all Kaoru could take and she lost all composure. Fortunately, the man was far enough away to not hear the peals of laughter that escaped her.

Kaoru: 1. Mr. Confidence: 0.

Wiping tear-filled eyes, she resumed position and waited for the next group. This was _far _more fun than she could have ever anticipated.

* * *

The following night evoked just as many screams as the first, and all seventeen actors and actresses confirmed that this year was by far the most exciting. They were having more fun than they could bear and by the end of the night, their throats were hoarse from screaming at patrons, cackling evilly, shouting threats, and laughing hysterically.

This location was a first for Crossing Nightmares, and the building's history had a significant part in Sanosuke's and Kaoru's decision to rent it out. Apparently, there had only been a handful of tenants over the past few years, and none of them stayed longer than five months. Rumor had it that the building was haunted. What better setting to construct a haunted house?

Word of mouth had already travelled far and wide, and by the following weekend, the queue to enter had nearly doubled. A few of the scarers who peeked through the windows even proclaimed that they remembered seeing a few people in line from the previous weekend. Repeat customers were always a strong indication of success, and everyone was beaming in satisfaction.

A few minutes before opening for the second weekend, Sanosuke called everyone into Misao's lava/human sacrifice room, as it was the closest room to the middle and easiest for everyone to fit inside of. Light paint on the walls and floors and ceilings made the room look like it was covered in pale ashes of old fires, while the near-fluorescent orange and yellow lighting alluded to a nearby lava flow. The lights even pulsed very slowly, as if the lava flow was oozing down the side of a volcano. Severed body parts were strewn all over the ground and strung up in crispy, dead trees.

"Alright everyone, listen up! We open in…" he paused to check his watch "…four minutes, so I'll keep it short. First, I want to thank you guys for doing such a great job last weekend. I know it wasn't too busy then, so we had time to wander a bit between groups, but that line out there is insane. Stay in your spots n' we'll get breaks covered every hour. There are a couple bottles of water hidden in each room; let me know if you can't find them in your area. Kaoru n' I worked out the few kinks that we found last Sunday, so everything is as good as it's going to be.

"Also, we're gonna try something new." Kaoru's eyes narrowed at Sanosuke and he deliberately turned the other way to avoid her stare. The fact that he had not previously discussed something with her would not sit well, and he would have to clear out of there immediately after the meeting. "Typically, we let people go in groups of four or five, but we're gonna let a few groups go either by themselves or in pairs, to make it even freakier. Ya know… take the whole 'power in numbers' thing away from them.

"Gloria, I told a buddy that he can be the first to try it out. He'll have a woman with him, n' he'll say the password is _'kitsune'_. Let them in free n' let them go by themselves. When they're about to go in, say _'fresh meat'_ over the mic.

"For everyone else, when you hear _'fresh meat'_, that means to give the next scare your all. Make them wet themselves. Seriously.

"Alright, let's do this!" Sanosuke zoned in on a clear path between actors and dove into it.

Unfortunately for him, Kaoru had anticipated his motions and lunged, wrapping her fingers around his bicep. "Exactly _why _did you forget to mention this sooner?"

"Well, we were all busy with setting up 'n gettin' ready and stuff…"

"Don't give me that, Sano. You've been nervous all night. Who is this guy?"

"He's a buddy from my kendo class. No big deal."

"Then why are you giving him special treatment AND free entry? I don't care about the money; I just want to know _why_. You've never done this before, so it must be something more than that."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Kaoru's glare darkened. "Then why were you trying to run away from me just now?"

"Augh… fine! We made a bet. It's just a bet, alright? We NEED to scare him."

Kaoru scrunched her nose. "I thought we already talked about your gambling…"

"It's _not _like that! It's not like I owe him money or anything. Just something that would be…"

"OPENING!" Gloria called.

"Look, I'll explain later. I promise. Just scare the living hell out of him, ok? _Please._" The lanky zombie didn't give Kaoru a chance to respond before ducking out of her reach and racing to his spot.

Muttering under her breath, Kaoru turned on her heel and made her way to her devious crypt.

Aptly named 'Crossing Nightmares', the haunted house was a jumbled assortment of heart-racing scenes. Some of them flowed well from one to the other, but otherwise the lack of cohesion was intentional to make tensions mount. Generally knowing what to expect around the next corner allowed people to better prepare themselves. _Uncertainty, _however, bred apprehension, and made it delectably easy to frighten people.

The first room visitors walked through was a filthy kitchen, complete with a butcher jumping up and slamming mallet upon a wooden table. From there, customers would walk through a narrow tunnel with a spinning emergency light and into a dark room with glowing fluorescent paint splayed on the walls and actors. At the end of this circus room was a five-foot-tall jack-in-the-box, in which was a person who jumped out once people got close enough.

Next, was an upturned forest campsite scene. Claw marks in the fake trees and a growling soundtrack made people expect to see sasquatch, so they would naturally peer _amongst _the trees, rather than _at _them. This is where Aoshi had the element of surprise. Once he leapt out at them (which he had grudgingly admitted to enjoying… a little bit), they would run toward the torn tents, in which were screaming campers.

After that, they were led into the ashen volcanic scene in which Misao did an absolutely fantastic job of basking in the various body parts of her human sacrifices and corralling people into the volcano itself, via a doorway that had heaters around it to make it all the more realistic.

This was followed by mineshafts with 'collapsing' walls that actually moved inward, ghoulish miners who emerged well-hidden doorways, nightmarish beings flying by on zip-lines, and even a few sections that looked perfectly safe in comparison, until zombies plummeted from the ceilings on harnesses. Then, zombie Sanosuke chased after their screaming victims for a lengthy distance in which many other creatures popped out at them.

After that came a nearly entirely dark room that people had to navigate a zigzag row of black boxes and crates. There was a great assortment of people hidden behind the boxes, the most terrifying, of course, being Yahiko in his demon getup.

From there, customers had to traverse a few more scenes before emerging in front of Kaoru's terror maze.

It was a long, terrifying adventure, and Kaoru and her brother ensured that every single person would get their money's worth before the end.

Within minutes of the doors opening, screams pierced the air. Actors thrashed about, banged on walls, jumped out from hiding spots, and made skin-crawling noises from directly behind patrons. Judging from the unceasing shrieks, Kaoru felt confident in this year's group of performers, and she couldn't wait to walk through for herself.

After a couple of hours, the signal "fresh meat" was announced, and all fell silent. Kaoru was _certain _that everyone else was waiting with baited breath and ears turned toward the entrance to listen carefully, just as she was. Seven dreadfully tense seconds passed before the butcher sprung out and screamed "ARE YA HUNGRY?" This elicited no screams from either of Sanosuke's friends, and neither did the following three scenes.

_There. _

Kaoru grinned as a feminine shriek swam through the air. That would be Aoshi who had just materialized before them, and she could almost feel Sanosuke's cheeky grin. He was sure now to win whatever bet he had made.

Yet, as the minutes dragged on, no male vocalized any kind of fear. The ebony-haired girl released a heavy sigh when she heard them pass Aya without any other signs of fear.

_Great._ So it was all up to her now, as the finale of the entire haunted house, to terrify the man who had walked through without emitting a peep.

_Well, _she thought, _here we go._

There had been plenty of time to test out Phase Three all night, and Kaoru felt as if she had the perfect plan laid out. Even if he didn't scream, she knew that she would at the very least make his heart leap into his throat. Because if he remained unfazed, she would deem the man as being officially made of steel and Sano would be S.O.L.

"_Oh, look_," the woman cooed delightfully. "A maze! Is this the thing that kept you up all week?" The man must have sent her a poisonous glare because the woman giggled merrily. "I'll let you lead the way," she crooned.

Light muttering drifted to Kaoru's ears. So they went left, did they? She always liked left better…

They veered around the sharp corners until they reached a dead-end. Slowly, Kaoru rose from the shadows just when they were turning back around. They looked her dead in the face and the woman screamed again, her perfect, silky hair floating off her shoulders in a dark cascade as she hastened her pace to rush past Kaoru.

The man, however, had Kaoru nearly frozen.

Mr. Confidence was back for round two, huh?

Quickly snapping out of it, she almost grinned at just how impossibly wide his eyes got as she slowly lowered herself back down into the fog.

The woman would hit Phase Three in a matter of seconds…

"Kenshin… this wall wasn't here before."

Silence.

Something was _very_ wrong, and he knew it. The long, very _straight_ hallway from which they had come was now cut short, and instead of leading a few dozen paces forward, the wall took a sharp right into pure fog.

"No," he nearly whispered. "No, it wasn't." How had _an entire hallway _shifted without a sound?

Trepidation seeped through the haze, and Kaoru could barely contain herself. Slowly, they crept along the hallway that had appeared from nowhere, inching forward through the billowing smoke. Good thing she had this last trick up her sleeve… Sanosuke would owe her BIG time.

Some part of Kaoru could not help but feel a bit disappointed that Mr. Confidence wasn't single, but she also had to acknowledge that even if he was single, he likely wouldn't be interested in someone who found such pure joy in scaring the daylights out of people. Most people would find that terribly psychotic, and it surely wasn't an attractive quality.

Oh well. That just meant that she would have to thoroughly enjoy scaring him instead.

Once again, they traveled down a false path and when they got to the end, Kaoru flicked her wrist. The seemingly innocent wall that they had passed was actually a _door_, and moving it changed the course of this section of the maze. They wouldn't even realize that anything had been altered until they came back to find another wall out of place. The magic of it all was that there were five doors concealed within the maze, and if Kaoru played her cards right, she could trap people in her masterpiece for hours.

She dragged her nails against the coarse tarp, emitting a terrible sound that made even her cringe.

"Just find the way out," the woman said. Her patience was evaporating and was already being replaced with severe hesitation.

"I don't know the way," he whispered lowly, careful to keep his voice even. Any hint of fear and Sanosuke would have won, and Mr. Confidence did not seem like the kind of man who gave up easily.

"You just came through this thing a week ago!" she hissed. "How do you not remember the way?"

"Because back then the maze wasn't _moving_, Megumi." There was a soft thud, followed by a sharp intake of breath. "At least I got my end covered…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Let's go this way."

She saw the shadows of, rather than heard, the delightfully hesitant footsteps of the man drawing nearer. "Oro…" he whispered to no one as he rounded a couple more turns.

As they crept along, Kaoru waited happily on the other side of the tarp in the adjacent hallway.

3.

2.

1.

Just as Mr. Confidence passed her, she thrust her hands through a couple of otherwise perfectly concealed holes and grabbed at them with bloodied hands.

Both of them squeaked lightly in surprise and hurried onward, taking another couple of wrong turns, which led them into the circular section that Kaoru was more than content to keep them in for a couple of revolutions.

When their breathing burned into soft pants of fear, she finally swung the door open and released them toward the exit. As much as she would love to keep watching Mr. Confidence's expression melt in alarm, she was also cognizant of the fact that the whole haunted house was essentially shut down until Sanosuke's friends had left. Dozens of people were waiting in line, so she would have more than enough opportunities before the night was through to induce a few more nightmares.

Once again, Mr. Confidence found his way into the last hallway, but this time, he veered immediately down the long tunnel, clearly demonstrating that he learned his lesson well from the previous week.

He rushed through the tunnel, all but dragging his companion along, as he threw hasty glances over his shoulder. When the eyeless woman did not pursue him, he let out a ragged breath of relief.

Kaoru repressed a chuckle. What a silly, _silly _man to think she was done…

They turned the last corner and found themselves before a pitch black room. "Just go straight through," Mr. Confidence said. "The exit is on the other side."

"I'm not going in there blind!" the woman hissed.

"Seriously; it's a straight shot."

"Then _you_ go first."

Mr. Confidence cast a look back through the tunnel from which they had just emerged.

"What are you waiting for?"

"N-nothing." When nothing else happened, he sighed and stepped into the darkness.

The man's hippocampus served him well; it truly was a straight shot through. Just as he anticipated, the two shots of air in their faces thoroughly annoyed the woman and she grumbled about her hair being ruined. She threw a hand across her mouth to refrain from crying out when the creatures appeared, and once they passed the far edge of the tarp, they turned a sharp right and were face to face with the exit sign.

Pushing the metal door open, they left the building, released a sigh of relief, and began walking the couple dozen steps through the narrow alley leading to the busy sidewalk.

The way his shoulder slumped marginally and the way he absently adjusted his low hair tie made it painfully evident that Mr. Confidence was actually a bit disappointed.

This was thoroughly bizarre to Kaoru, as she felt that she had done a spectacular job of switching everything up. He clearly had no idea about the fake walls actually being doors, and she personally appeared above him a couple of times when she figured he would be least expecting it. Could it be that he was upset about losing his bet with Sanosuke? Even so, he made everything seem so… anticlimactic.

Hm. Well, that just simply would not do.

Emerging from the shadows of the back of the alley, Kaoru stood up to tower at her full stilt-height of seven-and-a-half feet. A sinister grin consumed her face as she lifted her leg and stomped down on it as hard as she could. By the time the two patrons spun around, she was already sprinting at them, bounding faster than ever with elongated strides.

There was no hesitation. The woman nearly trampled over Mr. Confidence in desperate haste to create as much distance as possible between herself and the eyeless creature. She sufficed with tossing him to the side and booking it to the sidewalk, screeching for her life.

Mr. Confidence, on the other hand, stood frozen for a brief second before a strangled breath forced itself from his lungs. Then, as if reviving himself from a trance, he propelled himself from the wall his companion had flung him into. In a mad scramble, complete with wide eyes and flailing arms, he sprinted away so quickly that he seemed to melt into the crowd.

Mr. Confidence must have been on a cross country team in high school. There was no other way someone so short could move so darn _fast. _

Feeling quite victorious, Kaoru merrily skipped back inside, mindful of the low doorway, and made it back to the maze just in time to frighten the next group.

* * *

"Ok," Kaoru exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose before narrowing her eyes on Sanosuke. "So, all of this was about Mr. Confidence hooking you up with his sister?"

"Mr…. who?"

"Mr. Confidence…" Kaoru repeated, her cheeks turning one shade darker. "When he came in last weekend, he was trying to act like a badass but I scared the pants off him then, too."

She was thoroughly surprised that the woman who was with Mr. Confidence was his sister, and to Kaoru's dismay, she felt undeniably relieved. She shifted her weight slightly and mentally berated herself. It was senseless to get caught in some childish school girl crush. He was among the most attractive men she had ever seen, but that was all Kaoru knew about him, and that alone would never be enough to warrant ruminating thoughts and daydreams.

"Woah, hold up a minute," her brother shifted his weight and thrust an accusing finger toward Kaoru. "He came in last weekend?!"

"Well, yeah. I mean, there aren't too many guys I've seen lately with long, scarlet hair. And I got a few close looks at his face. Definitely the same guy."

"Oh, MAN, this is great! So he knew where everything was n' you were still able to scare him?"

Kaoru stared at him pointedly.

"So, that's why he was so sure he would win the bet!" Sanosuke laughed.

"I still don't see why she would necessarily date you. No! Don't give me that look; I didn't mean it like that! It's just… if you told me that I had to go out with a guy because you lost a bet, I would end up throwing you to the ground. How do you think she's going to take it? She didn't seem like the kind to take orders."

"All confidence and sassiness," he breathed happily. "That gorgeous, snarky fox with those fantastic curves and ass and smile and…"

"Alright, I get it!" Kaoru squealed, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"And the deal wasn't for him to set us up, necessarily," he added as an afterthought. "Just for him to introduce us. All I need is five minutes n' she'll fall for my witty charm."

Kaoru repressed a snort. "_That _was the huge bet? All of that for an introduction?"

"Well, he told me it would be hard to convince her to even go in, and even if he did manage to talk her into it, it would be a waste of time for either of them to walk through, since she's pretty tough and she's wicked hard to scare. So I added a deal sweetener to make it worth his while, ya know… tryin' to appeal to his 'big brother' side, n' all. 'Cause what big brother doesn't like messing with his sister?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes, far too familiar with the concept.

"The deal was that if he got scared, he would introduce me to the fox. Since he was so sure she wouldn't flinch, I told him that if she got scared, I would owe him something of equal value. He agreed after that."

"Okay," Kaoru said slowly. "I made her run into a crowd of people, so I think it's safe to say that he's going to come asking for a favor at some point."

"Yeah, but I'm not too worried. I just want to officially meet my future girlfriend."

"Oh, gross, Sano," Kaoru groaned, pushing herself off one of the logs in the campsite scene. "That makes you sound like a serious creeper."

He laughed heartily.

They had spent the past half hour cleaning up, which put them at well past midnight. Everyone else had long since cleaned up and gone home, and a shower had never sounded so appealing to Kaoru. Together they made their way to the front doors, shut off the lights, and locked up.

"What time are we having lunch tomorrow?" Kaoru asked as they headed toward their cars.

"Huh?"

"You owe me lunch for scaring Mr. Confidence."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled in the good-natured Sano way. "I guess you're right. How about Amici's at one?"

"Perfect!" she grinned. "See you there!"

* * *

"THAT WAS THE LAST OF 'EM! DOORS ARE SHUT!" Gloria called over the loudspeakers the following night.

An exhausted grin crept across Kaoru's lips, and she puffed out a breath of relief. She had scared nearly everyone who walked through, and the confidence that accompanied such a difficult feat pulsed through her veins, leaving her with a wonderful surge of adrenaline.

She carefully walked to the far wall of her maze, pulled back a section of wall, and took a seat on a metal chair she had wrangled in there. It took only a minute to unfasten the stilts, and she curled her toes in relief as she put the apparatuses aside. The dull ache that accompanied stilt-walking would set in more fully in the morning, but for now she would enjoy the exhilaration buzzing across her skin and keeping the pain at bay.

Kaoru pulled on a pair of flats and reached over to shut off the fog machine. She would need more fog juice soon, she mentally noted. She'd have to make a run for a couple jugs sometime before Friday.

Humming to herself, she walked through a couple of narrow passageways, but froze when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. In the passageway to her left, there was some black shadow that had raced from one side to the other.

Immediately silenced, she gulped and thrust her head into the passage, looking in both directions. Nothing out of place.

Rumors of the building being haunted whispered through her consciousness, but she forcefully ignored them. There was no such things as _real _ghosts or ghouls. It was just her imagination.

Shaking her head to clear absurd thoughts, she continued along her original path, her breath dying when she saw the _same shadow_ scurry across the far end of the hall she was headed down.

No no no no no no no no. She was _**not **_about to freak herself out. It was just exhaustion kicking in combined with a very real lack of light and fog still lingering in the air. Could have even been her own shadow projected on the fog.

Yeah. That's it.

Pace quickening, Kaoru shuffled into the circular area of the maze. She figured it was the most terrifying section of the maze because it was face-smackingly evident when people got trapped within. You could only go in circles for so long before realizing you overlapped yourself without finding an exit.

Yet, that section also doubled as a shortcut to get from one end to the other with the least amount of looping turns. She wound around and pushed on the wooden frame on the opposite side… but it refused to open.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at it and tried again with a bit more force.

Nothing happened.

Holding the doors in place was alright, but it was against fire code to lock any part of the maze off. It was mainly for that reason, amongst many others, that no locks had been installed in the first place. They were merely secured with little switches on the tops of the frames that could easily be pushed open with enough force. Just in case of emergencies.

Kaoru reached up and fumbled around, but the switch was completely free. That wasn't holding it in place.

Giving it one more shove led to no victory.

_Shit._

Alright, well, maybe one of the potted plants had fallen over and was blocking the door. She hadn't checked after the last group, so it was more than likely that they had just knocked it over by accident as they tried to escape.

Squaring her shoulders, Kaoru retraced her steps to where she had entered the circular area, only to freeze in her tracks when she saw that door shut, as well.

No. This was not some shabby, poorly-built structure. She made sure that everything was level. If she left a door open, it _stayed_ open. It would _not_ swing shut. Could not. It hadn't over the course of the past month since it had been constructed.

She threw all her weight on the frame, but it did not budge either.

"SANO!" she screeched. "I WILL PULL YOUR SKIN OFF YOUR BODY WITH MY BARE HANDS IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW!"

There was a pause.

"Whaddaya mean?" he called from well outside the maze. "What are ya doin'?! Everyone's up here waitin' for us!"

"BULL! Let me OUT!"

There was a shuffle of a few dozen feet quickly rushing over, and within a single, heart-thrashing minute, Yahiko pulled the door open and stared at her, concern etched all over his features. "Are you alright?"

Kaoru's chest was heaving now, half in fear and half in anger. "What was holding it shut?"

"Nothing," Yahiko replied tentatively. "There was nothing here. I just pulled it open."

Rushing out and searching for herself, Kaoru was forced to believe his explanation. Her brother, Misao, and Aoshi were all crammed in the hallway, as well, all fraught with concern.

"What happened?"

"Let me get out of here," Kaoru grumbled, shoving her way past them. Once free of the maze, she did a quick head count and realized that everyone was accounted for. She clearly heard Sanosuke far off, so it wasn't him pranking her. Misao would never do anything like that to her, and Aoshi would simply have no interest in pranking. Yahiko damn well knew better than to incur her wrath.

Her heart pounded sickeningly.

No one had been in there with her.

Spinning back around, she laid eyes on the maze just in time to catch a shadow zip across the entrance.

_The same shadow._

Oh. Hell. No.

This place was NOT haunted, damn it, and she was going to get whoever was in there.

Forgetting everyone else and blocking out their concerned questions, she raced back inside and veered down the right corridor, just in time to witness darkness pooling off to the left.

"STOP!" she screamed, rage and fear and nausea evident in her tone.

Turning the corner, she willed an extra burst of energy to her legs, but instead, immediately screeched to a halt.

Standing before her was a figure cloaked in pure black, a long cowl shielding the person's face from sight.

This person was not any of her employees, none of her friends… not even the costume looked familiar. Blood thundered through her veins and roots seemed to sprout from the bottoms of her flats and into the cement floors.

"Kaoru!" It was her brother, and she had never been more grateful for his stubbornness. If he hadn't followed her, she wouldn't have stood a chance against this intruder. He was simply too fast for her to catch him or escape from him again.

"Kaoru," he breathed heavily, having sprinted after her. "Look…"

"Let's get him, Sano!" she shouted, already leaping into action. This guy (she could only assume he was male, of course) had chosen the wrong place to rob. Was he _that _desperate for Halloween decorations?

"Chill, Kaoru," Sano laughed, latching onto her forearm before she got too far. He yanked her back and steadied her before continuing. "I…"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Chill!" he repeated, heavier chuckles rising to his lips. And then, in a glorious meltdown, laughter spluttered from his lips and he released her, only to put his hands squarely on his knees to brace himself against the surges of pure _laughter _that coursed through him.

Kaoru stared at him briefly, not yet ready to rule out the possibility of him being possessed. Her eyes swiveled back to the intruder, only to realize that his shoulders were also shaking.

"Listen," Sano choked. "I have som'in ta tell ya!" He said, slurring his words as he always did when overly excited, and then erupted into another fit of giggles before continuing. "I let this guy in…"

"You WHAT?"

Snorting in glee, and with tears rolling freely down his face, her brother finally took a deep breath- an attempt at composure- and asked the man to lower his hood.

Kaoru stared, uncomprehending, as a mane of crimson tumbled out from beneath the cowl and a pair of mirthful, amethyst eyes peered back at her.

She spun back to Sanosuke. "What is the guy from your kendo class doing in here?!"

"I'm helpin' him by fulfilling my part of the bet," Sanosuke explained. "Allow me to introduce you to Kenshin. Kenshin, this is my sister, Kaoru."

"I… I don't…" Kaoru stammered, before coming to her senses. "I thought you said you owed him something of equal value! How is this equal?!"

"I mean, only the introduction was related to the bet. The rest was his idea, but when he brought it up, I couldn't resist. You know me; I'd never pass up the chance to scare the pants off ya."

Kaoru scowled at him for a moment before the words actually sunk in. She turned back to Mr. Confi… Kenshin. "Why?" was all she could ask.

His lopsided grin had her heart nearly melting.

_Oh, jeez, Kamiya, don't be such a twit. You can't let yourself fall for a smile…_

"I am fair by all accounts," he explained in a silky voice. "My deal with your brother has been cleared, but I still owed you a monumental scare to make up for both nights you made me run out of here."

"But you paid to come in here!" she spluttered. "How could you not have expected to get scared?"

"I haven't been afraid of a haunted house since I was eleven," he shrugged. "Very little frightens me." The way his eyes narrowed on her left chills tingling down her skin.

Oh… so it was just payback, then. Seriously, why else would he be here?

But then he strode forward and his lips turned upward in a smile that would make any woman's knees buckle. "I had also hoped you would be so kind as to accompany me to dinner tomorrow evening."

"Oh," she said, and then realized there was no more air left in her lungs with which to articulate a proper response. _Inhale, Kamiya… there you go. _"I, uh… sure. That sounds great."

He grinned at the color rising to her cheeks but said nothing of it, instead offering an arm to lead her out of the maze. Blush deepening, she accepted and smiled softly at him.

When she turned around, she realized Sanosuke had vanished. When did that happen?

Then again, he appeared a second later from the wrong corridor. "Which way is the right way out?" he grumbled, embarrassed at having gotten lost.

Kaoru laughed and directed them both out, secretly enjoying the warmth of Kenshin's arm against her own. He released her just before arriving at the entrance of the maze.

"I'd say the mission was a success!" Sanosuke announced to all the haunted house actors, leaving Kaoru feeling mortified. _They had __**all **__known. _

"I'm never gonna live this down," she groaned.

"At least you got a dinner out of it, if nothing else," Kenshin offered.

Kaoru laughed then. There was nothing else she could really do but find the humor in all of it. "If that doesn't warrant a filet mignon, nothing does," she joked.

"Best steakhouse in town, it is!" Kenshin chuckled.

"No, no!" Kaoru rebutted, horrified. "I was kidding! Jeez… I'm not like that at all. Even just a salad is perfect."

"How about this," he murmured, once everyone had turned around and began walking toward the entrance. The two of them were at the very back, and for the first time in what felt like an hour, Kaoru didn't feel like she had a dozen pair of eyes following her every movement. "Don't worry about where we're going tomorrow. If you don't love the place I pick, it'll be your choice next time."

"Next time?" she couldn't fight the lilt in her tone and a growing smile.

"I'm nothing if not fair," he repeated softly. "Besides, a sightless crypt guardian must not get many breaks on the job. As such, I'd say you deserve more than one night off."

"My limit is two nights off," she smiled.

The corners of his lips peaked. "That sounds like a challenge to me…"


End file.
